Usually a denizen of the Mediterranean, a white bream has been caught locally.

THE different species of bream in Bailiwick waters continues to multiply.

In September 1967 the rod-caught list contained just two species, the black and the red.

Since those early days many others have been added. The bogue in October 1969, the gilthead in November 1973, the Couch’s sea in August 1993, the ascillary in October 1995 and the Pandora in September 1998.

In addition there have been authenticated reports of two others being landed by the commercial fishermen, the saupe and the two-banded.

These nine species have now been joined by the white bream, which is normally a resident of the Mediterranean, although it has spread to more northern waters in recent years.

Small specimens turned up in Jersey in 1994. They seemed to congregate in the warm water outfall of La Colette power station, although since that date they have spread out to many other marks around Jersey.

They have steadily increased in size where a Jersey-caught fish was approved as the British shore-caught record at a weight of 1-7-4.

Strangely the Jersey and Channel Island record is 1-10-11, a specimen that was never submitted for a natural record.

There has been an expectation for some time that they would reach our Bailiwick.